Alaska, 2026Blizzard in Alaska, March 20 to 21, 2026
March 20 to 21, 2026 · NWS AFG · 2 events in 2 counties and zones
Heading into the third weekend of March, yet another strong disturbance approached Alaska's Arctic coastline from the north. And as a result, blizzard conditions developed across portions of the NE Arctic coast for the forth time in a span of only 3 weeks.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
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- Hail
- Winter weather
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
Heading into the third weekend of March, yet another strong disturbance approached Alaska's Arctic coastline from the north. And as a result, blizzard conditions developed across portions of the NE Arctic coast for the forth time in a span of only 3 weeks. This time the swath of stronger westerly winds expanded to include areas from Deadhorse all the way east to Barter Island and beyond.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Fairbanks, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 20, 3:28 AM AKST, 6 hours 47 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 20, 3:28 AM AKST, 6 hours 47 minutes before
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
428 AM AKDT Fri Mar 20 2026
.SYNOPSIS...
Dry and cold conditions are expected to prevail for most of the
state over the next few days. Strong winds and blowing snow are
subsiding on the West Coast, but picking up on the Eastern Arctic
Coast as we go into the weekend. Temperature-wise, it looks as
though much of the state will see a much-awaited break from below
average temperatures as a warming trend is expected to begin early
next week.
&&
.KEY WEATHER MESSAGES...
Central and Eastern Interior...
- Below average temperatures are expected to persevere through
the weekend with lows potentially reaching 20 to 30 below.
However, a warming trend is expected to begin towards the end
of the weekend.
- Northeast winds are expected to ramp up over Interior Valleys
with gusts up to 15 mph and higher gusts possible at higher
elevations.
West Coast and Western Interior...
- Conditions continue to improve along the West Coast as winds
are expected to weaken throughout the day.
- A Cold Weather Advisory remains in effect on the Southern
Coastline of the Seward Peninsula through Friday afternoon for
wind chills as low as 60 below.
- A general warming trend is expected to start over the next few
days with low temperatures increasing from the 20 to 30 below
range to positive single digits in some locations.
North Slope and Brooks Range..
- Very cold wind chills, between 40 and 60 below, are likely
throughout the weekend as strong westerly winds with gusts up
to 25 mph pick up Friday morning and continue through Sunday.
- A Blizzard Warning is out for the Eastern Arctic Coast,
including Point Thomson and Kaktovik, for strong wind gusts up
to 50 mph and low visibility.
- Winter Weather Advisories are in effect for the Central
Beaufort Sea Coast and Central Arctic Plains for blowing snow
and gusts up to 40 mph through Saturday morning.
- Clearing skies are expected for most of the weekend.
&&
.FORECAST ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION...
For Friday through Sunday night.
The upper level high pressure system over the Western Aleutian
Islands remains in place, but is gradually being weakened by the
low pressure system in the Gulf of Alaska. Over the next few days,
this high pressure aloft is expected to move north/northeast with
ridging starting to blanket most of Interior and Northern Alaska.
Additionally, the Gulf of Alaska low is being strengthened and
reinforced by shortwave troughs moving in from the northwest but
becomes less organized at the beginning of next week.
Strong northerly winds on the West Coast and slightly strengthened
northeasterly winds across the Interior are being supported by a
tight gradient between the upper level high and low in the Gulf,
but are expected to weaken through Saturday as the gradient
weakens. Meanwhile, on the Eastern Arctic Coast, a tight gradient
between the high pressure aloft and a low off the Arctic Coast
supports strong westerly winds through Saturday night. The
north/northeast expansion of the upper level high is expected to
create generally clear conditions across Northern Alaska for the
weekend with clouds building back in over the coastlines on
Sunday.
Temperature-wise, below average temperatures are expected to
persist for most of the state. Wind chills are very likely to
reduce low temperatures down to 60 below over the North Slope and
Brooks Range region and 50 below on the West Coast. However, as
the high pressure aloft begins to expand north/northeasterly going
into the weekend, temperatures are expected to gradually warm
across most of the state throughout the week next week.
&&
.EXTENDED FORECAST DAYS 4-7...
Monday morning through next Saturday morning.
The pattern change that we have been closely monitoring is
expected to begin this weekend into early next week, as upper
level ridging from the high pressure system over the Western
Aleutians is expected to expand north/northeast over most of
northern Alaska. As a result, we are expecting to see a gradual
warming trend throughout the week for much of the state with the
North Slope remaining on the colder end.
Interior Valleys could see some strengthened northeast winds mid-
week as a tight gradient sets up across the Interior on Tuesday.
Mixing is also expected to support stronger winds as the amount of
incoming sunlight will continue to increase each day.
Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None
&&
.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...Cold Weather Advisory for AKZ822.
Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ804-808.
Blizzard Warning for AKZ805.
PK...Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ801-804-805-850.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ802-806-816-817-853-854.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ807-856.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ814-860.
Gale Warning for PKZ815-861.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ851.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ852.
&&
SrinivasanIn the hours before
Local storm report, Mar 20, 7:35 AM AKST, 2 hours 40 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
835 AM AKDT Fri Mar 20 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0812 AM Wind Chill 6 NNE Prudhoe Bay 70.40N 148.53W
03/20/2026 M-67 F PKZ814 AK Buoy
Buoy station PRDA2 Prudhoe Bay Tide Gauge.
0723 AM Wind Chill 63 SSW Nuiqsut 69.37N 152.14W
03/20/2026 M-59 F North Slope AK Mesonet
Mesonet station UMTA2 Umiat Airfield Raws.
0745 AM Wind Chill 8 NNE Nuiqsut 70.33N 150.93W
03/20/2026 M-66 F North Slope AK AWOS
AWOS station PALP Alpine.
0745 AM Wind Chill 14 SSE Oliktok Radar St 70.32N 149.58W
03/20/2026 M-69 F North Slope AK AWOS
AWOS station PAKU Kuparuk.
0753 AM Wind Chill Nuiqsut 70.22N 151.00W
03/20/2026 M-62 F North Slope AK ASOS
ASOS station PAQT Nuiqsut.
0753 AM Wind Chill Deadhorse 70.20N 148.47W
03/20/2026 M-70 F North Slope AK ASOS
ASOS station PASC Deadhorse.
0800 AM Wind Chill 56 E Anaktuvuk Pass 68.13N 149.51W
03/20/2026 M-50 F North Slope AK Mesonet
Mesonet station AAW01 Atigun Pass.
0815 AM Wind Chill Point Thomson 70.13N 146.28W
03/20/2026 M-68 F North Slope AK AWOS
AWOS station PAAD Point Thompson.
&&Blizzard, Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast
- When
- March 20, 10:15 AM AKST to March 21, 1:55 AM AKST
- Where
- Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 69.251, -152.001 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The areas fourth blizzard in less than three weeks began to unfold during the late morning hours of March 20th. Winds at the Point Thomson AWOS (PAAD) topped 35 mph kicking up plenty of blowable snow and reducing the visibility to 1/4 mile. The winds would stay elevated at 35 mph with gusts to 45 mph for more than 15 hours along with visibility readings of 1/4 mile of less well into the nighttime hours. While the wind speeds remained elevated into the overnight hours, the visibility began to improve prior to dawn the next day.
Blizzard, Central Beaufort Sea Coast
- When
- March 20, 12:50 PM AKST to 8:35 PM AKST
- Where
- Central Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 69.251, -152.001 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong west and southwest winds that had been confined to the Eastern Arctic coast began to spread further west along the central Beaufort Sea coast during the late morning hours of March 20th. A little after midday, the Deadhorse ASOS (PASC) began indicating sustained winds of 30 mph with gusts to 35 mph or higher. These winds lofted snow and the blowing snow dropped the visibility to around 1/4 mile. Conditions were made worse by ice fog that also developed across the region. These blizzard conditions persisted about 8 hours before the blowing snow and winds subsided enough to allow for improvements in the visibility.
- Blizzard
- Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1327062, 1327074.